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Committee parks political license plates

Jeremy AlfordCapitol Correspondent

Published: Monday, April 29, 2013 at 8:25 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, April 29, 2013 at 8:25 p.m.

BATON ROUGE — Citing concerns that specialty license plates for the nation’s two major parties would place the state dangerously close to the realm of political fundraising, a House committee rejected legislation Monday from a local lawmaker.

While it hosted a wide-ranging conversation, the tide turned on the House Transportation, Highways and Public Works Committee when it was announced that most of the money raised through the proposed specialty license plates would benefit the state Democratic and Republican parties.

House Bill 372 by Rep. Lenar Whitney, R-Houma, would have charged in-state drivers $28.50 for the Republican and Democratic plates, with $20 per plate going to the appropriate parties.

“It’s political support for your political party,” she told the committee before it voted down her bill.

The legislation would have provided design authority to the chairmen of both parties and reserved the first 500 of each produced for the parties to dole out.

Rep. Terry Brown of Colfax, who has no party affiliation, said he was concerned that independently registered voters were being overlooked.

“You think that is right?” he asked Whitney.

“I don’t think it’s a right or wrong issue,” she replied.

Rep. Sam Jones, D-Franklin, added it would have set a bad precedent.

“Do you realize if we do this, then the socialists have a right to come here and ask for that?” he asked, adding parties for communists and Islamics could do the same.

Whitney countered that such groups can already seek that authority and the committee recently approved specialty license plates identifying drivers as Cajuns and Creoles, a bill that is still making its way through the legislative process.

“I don’t think this bill is opening us up to that,” she said.

“Why would you want to use government funds to promote a political party?” Jones asked.

“I don’t know that it is government funds,” she said.

Rep. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, said she created a specialty license plate to support the Louisiana honeybee industry during her first session, and she sees the value in creating more, including those proposed by Whitney.

“It is paid for by the consumer who wants to have that,” Hodges said. “There is no cost to the Office of Motor Vehicles.”

As for arguments that other parties are being overlooked, Hodges asked the committee to remember that the Republican and Democratic parties are the “nation’s two major parties.”

Rep. Barbara Norton, D-Shreveport, argued the state shouldn’t be involved with fundraising and suggested to Whitney, Louisiana’s national committeewoman on the National Republican Committee, that she had “no authority” to propose a plate for Democrats.

“You never asked us,” Norton said.

Whitney said she did run the idea by Democrats and was supposed to be joined by Sen. Rick Ward, D-Livonia, at the witness table during Monday’s debate.

Jill Jarreau of the Office of Motor Vehicles said Louisiana has 214 specialty plates that support a variety of organizations but no political parties to her knowledge.

She said a regular license plate costs the state $1.81 per plate to produce, while specialty plates average about $3.70.

Rep. Truck Gisclair, D-Larose, voted in favor the bill, while Rep. Dee Richard of Thibodaux, who has no party affiliation, missed the vote while he was temporarily out of the committee room working on his own legislation.

Richard said after the meeting that he had some concerns about the bill and was looking forward to learning more about the proposal.

Whitney’s bill failed overall by a 7-8 vote.

“There’s always next year,” Rep. Karen St. Germain, D-Plaquemine, the committee’s chairwoman, told Whitney at the end of the meeting.

<p>BATON ROUGE — Citing concerns that specialty license plates for the nation's two major parties would place the state dangerously close to the realm of political fundraising, a House committee rejected legislation Monday from a local lawmaker. </p><p>While it hosted a wide-ranging conversation, the tide turned on the House Transportation, Highways and Public Works Committee when it was announced that most of the money raised through the proposed specialty license plates would benefit the state Democratic and Republican parties. </p><p>House Bill 372 by Rep. Lenar Whitney, R-Houma, would have charged in-state drivers $28.50 for the Republican and Democratic plates, with $20 per plate going to the appropriate parties. </p><p>“It's political support for your political party,” she told the committee before it voted down her bill.</p><p>The legislation would have provided design authority to the chairmen of both parties and reserved the first 500 of each produced for the parties to dole out.</p><p>Rep. Terry Brown of Colfax, who has no party affiliation, said he was concerned that independently registered voters were being overlooked.</p><p>“You think that is right?” he asked Whitney. </p><p>“I don't think it's a right or wrong issue,” she replied. </p><p>Rep. Sam Jones, D-Franklin, added it would have set a bad precedent. </p><p>“Do you realize if we do this, then the socialists have a right to come here and ask for that?” he asked, adding parties for communists and Islamics could do the same. </p><p>Whitney countered that such groups can already seek that authority and the committee recently approved specialty license plates identifying drivers as Cajuns and Creoles, a bill that is still making its way through the legislative process. </p><p>“I don't think this bill is opening us up to that,” she said. </p><p>“Why would you want to use government funds to promote a political party?” Jones asked.</p><p>“I don't know that it is government funds,” she said. </p><p>Rep. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, said she created a specialty license plate to support the Louisiana honeybee industry during her first session, and she sees the value in creating more, including those proposed by Whitney. </p><p>“It is paid for by the consumer who wants to have that,” Hodges said. “There is no cost to the Office of Motor Vehicles.”</p><p>As for arguments that other parties are being overlooked, Hodges asked the committee to remember that the Republican and Democratic parties are the “nation's two major parties.”</p><p>Rep. Barbara Norton, D-Shreveport, argued the state shouldn't be involved with fundraising and suggested to Whitney, Louisiana's national committeewoman on the National Republican Committee, that she had “no authority” to propose a plate for Democrats.</p><p>“You never asked us,” Norton said.</p><p>Whitney said she did run the idea by Democrats and was supposed to be joined by Sen. Rick Ward, D-Livonia, at the witness table during Monday's debate.</p><p>Jill Jarreau of the Office of Motor Vehicles said Louisiana has 214 specialty plates that support a variety of organizations but no political parties to her knowledge. </p><p>She said a regular license plate costs the state $1.81 per plate to produce, while specialty plates average about $3.70.</p><p>Rep. Truck Gisclair, D-Larose, voted in favor the bill, while Rep. Dee Richard of Thibodaux, who has no party affiliation, missed the vote while he was temporarily out of the committee room working on his own legislation.</p><p>Richard said after the meeting that he had some concerns about the bill and was looking forward to learning more about the proposal.</p><p>Whitney's bill failed overall by a 7-8 vote.</p><p>“There's always next year,” Rep. Karen St. Germain, D-Plaquemine, the committee's chairwoman, told Whitney at the end of the meeting. </p><p>Jeremy Alford can be reached at jeremy@jeremyalford.com.</p>